The half-closed pale pink eyes gazed quietly at the window tinted by dawn light. As the sun outside rose gently, the red glow settling on the windowsill flickered in her eyes. In the wavering morning light, Rudis’s gaze lingered vacantly somewhere. It was her first time being awake after 2 AM. If you could call it being awake.

Her body felt strangely heavy and her head foggy. She couldn’t remember exactly what had happened yesterday. Rudis’s memories were fragmented. Whenever she lay limp saying she couldn’t take anymore, premium potion would inevitably be pushed into her mouth. Under the pretext of washing her. Under the pretext of drying her hair, Xenon never took his hands off Rudis. 

And then, too naturally, Rudis would start rocking again. The bed in the room, the sofa, and even the table. Rudis kept moving around and rocking, never fully conscious for a single moment. It was a time of being awake yet not awake.

‘I did it. A lot of it too.’

Rudis looked to the side with hazy eyes. She saw a red-haired man sitting with his body leaning against one side of the bed. It was Xenon.

Xenon wore a relaxed smile while playing with his hair with one hand. Proudly n*ked, like there was no reason to cover himself.

‘Get it together.’

Rudis tried to organize her thoughts while deliberately avoiding looking at him. Her mind was complicated. Everything started with that inexplicable ‘Anonymous Gift.’ Something sent to her by an unknown person with unclear purpose. Everything began with a message saying four pieces were needed to restore this ‘Anonymous Gift.’ And the way to obtain the pieces was…

Rudis quickly rummaged through her bag. A red jewel she’d never seen before was sparkling inside.

“It’s real…”

[Quest Name: Crossroads of Fate

Quest Description: Collect 4 pieces to restore the ‘Anonymous Gift.’

Red Moon Piece 1/1, Black Forest Piece 0/1, Silver Wind Piece 0/1, ɖœøɢʊ Piece 0/1

Reward: ???]

Checking the system window confirmed it. Though she didn’t understand why it was called the Red Moon Piece, it was clear she had indeed obtained a piece by sleeping with Xenon.

‘So to complete the quest, I really need to sleep with three more men?’

Rudis’s face turned pale. Everything went dark before her eyes.

Generally, the first step of a quest tends to be smooth. It was natural since it served as a kind of guide showing the direction of an unfamiliar quest. It was the same with the ‘Suspicious Relic’ that earned her the ‘Promise of a Lifetime.’ She had obtained the ‘Summer Crystal’ really easily and by chance. But if this was the first step…

Sure. Let’s say Xenon approached first to show her how to obtain the pieces. But the process was definitely not easy. Thinking about how she had been tormented continuously from last night until just now made her feel breathless.

As hazy as her memories were, the sensations within them were vivid. Sensations that built up, rocking endlessly, sometimes gently, sometimes roughly. And…

‘How are you going to handle the other guys?’

It was a statement impossible to ignore. At the time, she had no opportunity to question it, but Xenon clearly knew more. Rudis took out the Red Moon Piece from her bag while glancing sideways at Xenon. He was watching her without saying anything, like a spectator enjoying an interesting scene.

Finally, Rudis took a deep breath and spoke.

“The other three. Who do I need to… have relations with?”

“Who says such things about using and discarding people to their face? I didn’t take you for someone so cold-hearted, my little lady.”

Though she had asked with determination after even swallowing her saliva, Xenon playfully flicked the bridge of his nose and laughed softly.

“Why not just stick with me? It wasn’t bad, was it? No. You seemed to enjoy it so much you didn’t know what to do with yourself.”

Rudis pushed away Xenon’s approaching lips while cupping her chin and twisting her head, then sat up straight.

“Let’s make a deal.”

Rudis spoke again with a serious expression. Until now she hadn’t known, but Xenon was the master of the Information Guild. If she needed information, making a deal was appropriate.

“A deal?”

Xenon also raised his body that had been lying obliquely. His lean physique was revealed. Those muscles would be more fitting for a combat mercenary than an information guild master. That perfect body was covered with marks Rudis had scratched the night before. From his neck to his chest, waist, and…

Rudis’s face flushed as her gaze naturally moved downward. She recalled what positions and situations must have led to nail marks appearing there.

“Oh!”

At the same time, she grabbed and wrapped the bed sheet around herself. She had belatedly realized she was also n*ked. As a result, Xenon’s member, which had been somewhat covered, was completely exposed. Even seeing it again, it was enormous.

‘That thing was really inside me…’

Rudis frowned but couldn’t dare look away.

Enjoying her gaze, Xenon grabbed himself and stroked up and down. His face showed not a trace of embarrassment.

“If you wanted to see it, you should have just said so. I can show you this anytime, no deal required.”

“N-no, that’s not it. Haah…”

She almost got drawn in instantly. Rudis took a deep breath to gather her thoughts.

“Please tell me who I need to have relations with to complete this.”

“What’s the price?”

“How much?”

Until now, she hadn’t known about the Information Guild’s existence so she’d never used their services, but it was common knowledge that information fees were expensive. Moreover, she couldn’t just go around poking anyone for a quest that required such ruthless acts. No matter how expensive Xenon’s price might be, Rudis was willing to pay.

Xenon responded to Rudis’s determined question with a slight smile.

“You’ll pay with money? Well. I have plenty of money, so that’s not a particularly appealing offer.”

If not money, what does he want to be paid with?

“Please state what you want.”

A tense atmosphere surrounded them at Rudis’s question, making them both forget they were n*ked. His deep red eyes, which had calmed considerably, now held a different light.

“Payment method: deferred. When I want it. One thing among what you possess. How about it?”

It was an absolutely unacceptable condition. Xenon’s demand for “one thing among what you possess” was ambiguity itself. Not only was it unclear what he would take, but there was no way to exclude the possibility that the target might be the ‘Anonymous Gift.’

The more Rudis thought about it, the more complicated her feelings became. She couldn’t know how much Xenon knew about this quest and the item. However, judging from the circumstances so far, she had to conclude that Xenon’s reason for orchestrating all this was solely to get his hands on the ‘Anonymous Gift.’

This whole situation seemed too well-planned to be merely a coincidence. The timing of someone sending the ‘Anonymous Gift,’ the existence of this strange quest requiring four pieces, and Xenon’s active involvement.

“Let’s forget about it. I’ll be going now.”

Rudis might be naive, but she wasn’t stupid.

“Really? Think it over. Come anytime you feel regret. For a deal or my c*ck. I’ll always welcome you.”

Xenon accepted her refusal more easily than expected and coolly let Rudis go.

At least to her face.

* * *

Xenon slowly raised the cigarette hanging from his fingertips in the dimly lit room. Gray smoke gradually filled the space. His red eyes, lazily half-closed, were fixed on an old piece of paper in his hand. It was a letter without even a sender written on it. But Xenon didn’t bother trying to find out. This wasn’t the first time he had received such a letter.

Xenon took a deep drag of his cigarette. As he closed his eyes tightly, memories from long ago rose like faint mist. From when he first gained his immortal body to the day he first met Rudis. Every moment flashed through his mind.

The smoke he had inhaled deep into his lungs slowly rose, cutting through the stale air and dispersing. The gray smoke scattering in the darkness seemed to waver hazily, trying to hide its own existence, perfectly reflecting his emotions.

‘What I want…’

Xenon’s eyes turned again to the paper in his hand. The old, thin texture touching his fingertips. The once sharp edges of the paper were now covered with fingerprints. For many long years, this tiny piece of paper had shaken his world.

Everything began with one small letter.